The Return of Robocop

Soon to be given the remake treatment is classic action movie, Robocop. Its amazing how time flies and its also harder to accept that the original movie is actually 27 years old. A landmark in the science fiction/action genre.

For the uninitiated, Robocop is a 1987 movie that tells the story of Alex Murphy, a decent cop/family man who is shot in the line of duty and gets his life saved by a powerful corporation that uses what's left of him to make a crime-fighting cyborg, hence the title of the movie.

Original 1987 movie poster

The movie is due for release in 2014 and stars Joel Kinnaman, Gary Oldman, Samuel L. Jackson and Michael Keaton and it will be interesting to see if the remake can have the same impact as the original. The original was an iconic commercial and cultural success and still gets references despite being almost thirty years old. Even our own Burna Boy referred to it in his hit song, "Run my race", despite the film being released six years before he was born. 

Die hard fans of the original (including this writer) will be hoping it wont go the way of other tragic and ill fated attempts at remaking some of the most loved movies of the 1980s like Conan the barbarian and Arthur.

The movie is scheduled for release in February 2014.

MTN Loud In Naija Tour: The Abuja Edition

On friday night,Telecoms giant MTN staged the Abuja edition of its "Loud in Naija" concert tour at the humongous River Place Park, Wuse. Needless to say, security concerns in recent times have suppressed the general appetite for nightlife in Abuja. Especially for events that boast of traditionally high numbers of fun-seekers at once. Concerts being the hardest hit in that genre.

Kizaro's Blog caught up with MTN events ace, Joseph Ogbuka and got him to say a few words about the significance of the Abuja concert. He told Kizaro's Blog - "the event is part of the company's drive to leverage on our brand ambassadors to spark the re-invigoration of Abuja's nightlife and concert culture".

Smoking Pot On Duty!

This fine officer of the law was captured in this photograph about to light up a rolled up substance identifiable on first glance as Marijuana. What is a bit distressing about this image is that the cop about to get "high" is in on duty, in his uniform and is bearing a loaded AK-47!

While Nigerians have grown a thick skin and are almost "unshockable" its important to demand greater standards of our law enforcement agencies and their men. Corruption is one thing but a corrupt cop with a brain full of ogogoro and weed, armed to the teeth is the stuff of nightmares.

Food for thought.

Four Icons That Changed The Face Of Nigerian Entertainment In the Last 20 Years

Ali Baba – Comedian

Acknowledged as the ”Oga at the top” of Nigerian comedy, Atuyota Alleluya Akporobomeriere is the catalyst that brought respect and (ahem!) the big bucks into the humour industry, paving the way for the likes of Basketmouth, Julius Agwu, AY and many others making a decent living today off their jokes.

Ali Baba was among an amazing troupe of pioneer funny-men that took their jokes as serious business. His early contemporaries in the early nineties were the late Mohammed Danjuma, Yibo Koko, Alarm Blow and Basorge Tariah. He started telling jokes for a fee as a student of the then Bendel State Univerrsity, Ekpoma in 1987 and moved to Lagos for greener pastures in 1990.

D'Leads Break Out With Dance Track - "Nkaboleke"

Lagos based duo, D'leads made up of two self confessed dance addicts recently put finishing touches to the video of their high energy debut track titled Nkaboleke.

The first time we got a hold of the track, courtesy of D'Leads front-man, Eric Cool we were apprehensive of it being a rehash of reigning material in the clubs and radio but by the end of the track we all found ourselves humming unconsciously to the catchy chorus.

I immediately placed a Skype call to Eric Cool to ask him the message behind the track since large parts are in his native dialect and in a heartbeat and a big smile he replied - "its all about making the people dance".

With the sort of passion they radiate, expect more dance floor fillers from these guys.

Enjoy!

AK-47: The Gun That Changed The World

First model from 1949

While recuperating in a hospital bed from injuries sustained in a battle during World War 2, Sergeant Mikhail Kalashnikov of the Red Army became obsessed with the idea of creating a gun that would drive the Germans out of his motherland. He started the sketches for a super weapon that would match the 7.62mm calibre cartridge and suffered initial disappointments including the gun not being adopted by the Soviet Army before the German war machine was beaten back to the heart of Berlin.

Sergeant Kalashnikov in 1949 

J. Martins On Wizkid & "Broke Fan" Comment : Don't Diss The Fans!

J. Martins who was in Abuja days ago, gave his opinion on the altercation between singer, Wizkid and a follower of his on Instagram. The fan noticed some faulty grammar in a post by the star musician and told him that he needed to "go back to school". 

Wizkid hit back at the rude poster, by saying - "broke people always have an opinion"

The Instagram altercation

Super producer/neo-highlife musician, J. Martins addressed Wizkid's comments in an interview on Hot FM 98.3 and had this to say -

"J Martins on the show said ‘I’m not taking any side, don’t mean no beef, no disrespect, and no hate but let the truth be told. I don’t believe because you feel you have a few change you didn’t have a few years ago and which you cannot guarantee having in a few years to come then you wake up and look at those people who have cheered you up, loved you, supported your music, bought your CD’s, prayed for you, just because you can lay your hands on some phone and you call them ‘poor’. Am not in and will never be in support of anyone who has such bad attitude.

“It needs to be corrected, we owe our fans the duty of being good examples that’s why they hold us in high esteem, that’s why you are a role model and if you know you cannot be a good role model you have no business in Music. You don’t know if it’s that person that might help you tomorrow, whoever does that should be checked.

You have to decide why you are in the music industry. If you know you cannot be a role model then you have no business being there”

While J. Martins may have a point about respecting the fans and not being arrogant, we cant ignore the fact that the fan in question here could have been more polite in giving advice and correcting grammar. If I made a mistake and somebody corrected me like that I would likely give him a piece of my mind.